Locals congratulate Tom Cole for House Appropriations nod

Apr. 12—Locals are congratulating U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, who represents Oklahoma's Fourth District, after it was announced that he would chair the House Appropriations Committee.

On Tuesday, Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, announced that a steering committee recommended that Cole should serve as the next chair of the House Appropriations Committee. Cole is the first Native American to serve in that capacity.

John Woods, a friend of Cole's who ran his first campaign in Congress in 2003 and served as his director for his first four years of Congress, now works at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

"The Appropriations Committee in Congress holds the purse strings of our federal budget. That is their No. 1 directive — to create the budget, funding the government, and picking priorities. That all occurs through the committee process," Woods said.

Previously, Cole served as a subcommittee chair, which Woods said has given him experience for his new role.

"Those appropriations subcommittees are exceptionally powerful and influential within their specific areas of influence, and that all funnels up to the full appropriations committee," he said.

Woods said it is important for both Oklahoma's Fourth District, as well as the state as a whole, to have Cole serve in this capacity.

"It is critical, particularly being a small state, that we have members that are in positions of influence," Woods said. "It is exceptionally impactful. It's exceptionally historical, and great for the congressman, great for the Fourth District and really great for Oklahoma."

He said Cole can choose financial priorities, including pursuing interests that benefit Oklahomans.

"This chair has a lot of influence over those budgetary decisions, so this is important when it comes to things that may be impactful to Oklahoma, such as, our extensive military installations in our state, transportation funding, higher education, or when it comes to Native American issues," he said.

Woods said he isn't surprised that Cole was tapped for the job.

"It's a combination of tenure and quality. You can't have just one. The House is definitely a tenure-driven institution, so all those years in office matter and are critical, but you have to have quality," Woods said. "This is not an automatic ascension based on tenure. At the end of the day, members are voting for whom they think is best to hold those reins."

Tom Lewis, a former staff member who served from 2015-2021, said Cole's ascension reflects many years of hard work.

"This is a reflection of the culmination of a lot of hard work on Congressman Cole's part," Lewis said.

Lewis currently works as the executive director of the Credit Union Association in Oklahoma.

He said that Tom has prepared himself for the job ahead of him.

"I think that Congressman Cole's experience, demeanor, and his reputation within the caucus is very important for the political climate that we're in. He's got a very difficult job ahead of him, but I think that he has a unique set of skills and abilities to be able to navigate this difficult election season," Lewis said.

As the first Native American and Chickasaw citizen to hold this position, Woods said his work will benefit Oklahoma.

"Congressman Cole is now the first Native American to ever hold the position. It's great for those individuals, but it's also great for Oklahoma as a tribal state," Woods said.

Cleveland County District Court by Judge Thad Balkman said he considers Cole a mentor and family friend, and was thrilled at his appointment.

"His appointment is a reflection that he is a consensus builder and a master of crafting and closing the deal," Balkman said. "I have confidence he'll use those honed skills to benefit the Fourth District, the state, and our nation."

Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.